State’s Best Burger Can Be Found in Northeast Iowa

For the second time in five years, a northeast Iowa establishment is home to Iowa’s Best Burger.

This year’s winner of the contest, sponsored by the Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, is Dixie’s Biergarten in Decorah,  owned by Nick and Jordyn Harless.

Their winning Best Burger is hand-crafted with high-quality, fresh, never-frozen ingredients. The foundation of the burger is two four-ounce smash patties made of a proprietary, custom-blend that includes brisket and chuck, ground to a precise fat percentage.

The burger is served in a quality brioche bun and topped with fresh tomato, leaf lettuce, and pickles. The beef patties are finished with grilled onions, and their special SMASH sauce.

The significance of the contest has already been realized for Dixie’s Biergarten. Nick Harless says their burgers are traditionally a top seller, but since being named to the top 10 finalists, their burger sales have more than doubled, from 75 to 90 burgers on a good day to 153 more recently.

Originally, the Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. taproom, Dixie’s Biergarten, offers a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, featuring more than 25 Iowa craft beers on tap. However, unlike the original vision for the taproom, a dream led to serving food and the best burger in Iowa for 2026. 

Bambino’s in Ossian won Iowa’s Best Burger contest in 2021.